SILCHAR, May 5 - The Cachar district administration on Thursday announced an ex-gratia assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the next kin of each of the deceased persons who lost their lives in the devastating cyclone which swept across the district recently.
Cachar Deputy Commissioner S Vishwanathan said that after the meeting of the District Disaster Management Authority, which had the presence of all the higher officials of the district administration and officers of the department concerned, it was decided that the families of the deceased persons who lost their lives because of the lightening and flash floods at Lakhipur and Jatinga river under Silchar Sadar Circle will be given financial assistance.
�As per the first phase of assessment of the damage done to life and property by the cyclone since April 13 in the district, families of as many as six persons from Silchar and Lakhipur circles will be given financial assistance. The amount will be given as per SDRF norms and will be transferred to their respective bank accounts,� the DC said.
Among those who died due to lightning include Bulia Bauri (40) and Lalit Bhakta (40) of Lakhipur district while Sampurna Saotal (35), Laxmi Ghatowar (17), Mangal Teli (18) and Ratan Chasa (35) lost their lives in the flash floods of Jatinga river. Vishwanathan, however, said that the NDRF and SDRF teams have recovered three out of the eight bodies which were washed way in the flash flood.
He also informed that ex-gratia sanctioning is under process for families of two more deceased Bhibhuti Rani Nath (65) of Dudhpatil and Bina Bhakta ( 50) of Lakhipur, who died in the cyclone on April 28.
It may be mentioned that at least 13 persons died and four persons sustained serious injuries due to the natural calamities in Cachar district recently. Fifteen GPs under Katigorah constituency have been adversely affected by the cyclone. �Damage done by the cyclone in the district is approximately estimated to be around Rs 16 crore in the first phase,� Viswanathan informed.
Elaborating on the damage done by the cyclone, the Deputy Commissioner informed that 174 primary and ME schools and madrassas have been affected with along with one Anganwadi centre being totally damaged. Twenty high and higher secondary schools have also been hit by the strong winds and 79 pipe water supply schemes have collapsed due to the cyclone.
According to a report by the Assam power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL), because of the winds, trees have fallen over eight locations on the 33 KV electric lines and conductors have been snapped in at least 13 locations in the district. Barring a few areas, power and water supply have been restored in the district, he maintained.
On the other hand, according to the officials of the district agriculture department, 25,318 farm families have been severely affected and 9167 hectares of agricultural land has been damaged by the hailstorm and cyclone. Almost 78 per cent of Boro paddy crops have been washed away by the natural disaster.
